Friendship Has No Limits
by Frog-kun
Summary: A collection of Tezuka-centric drabbles written by members of the NXYZ Community members for our lovely Bonnsaka. Pairings and rating will vary. COMPLETE.
1. The Jabberer

A/N (written by Frog-kun): This is basically a collection of drabbles written by members of the NXYZ Community as a farewell gift to one of our departing members, Bonnsaka. This collection will be updated daily. I'd like to thank all the writers who were involved in this project. Your efforts were hugely appreciated! And I'd also like to thank Saka for being a wonderful and engaging member of the forum. Peace!

A/N (written by HaveYouNoMercy): Saka, I'm really sad that you've decided to leave the forum. I hope you know that it was nice talking with you the few times we did, and I'll be sure to get to that thing that I promised you once I'm back home with regular internet. :'D Just know that leaving isn't permanent; come back whenever you feel like it. Thanks for staying and chatting with us, dear!

**A River in Egypt (by The Jabberer)**

**FANDOM:** Prince of Tennis  
><strong>ENTITLED:<strong> A River in Egypt  
><strong>CHARACTERS:<strong> Tezuka, Seigaku  
><strong>SUMMARY:<strong> No one really believes that relationships aren't meant to last forever. Tezuka still tries. And when he fails, he denies.  
><strong>DISCLAIMER:<strong> I don't own Prince of Tennis.  
><strong>NOTES: <strong>  
>For bonnsaka. We love you, Stainless Steel. Well, I suppose it's <em>they<em> now, because this is meant to be something from the forum to you, but I do love you, in my Jab!way.  
>Also, I tried desperately to focus on Tezuka. I failed miserably, as you can see.<br>And also, I think Ryoma only wins because he's the main character. Which I would elaborate on more, but that explanation would end up being longer than the fanfic. So uh, yeah. That explains the end there. I'll just hide from rabid fans now.

o o o

Relationships never last forever.

That is what he says to himself when he joins the tennis club. He is joining the club strictly for the tennis–nothing else–and while he will not purposefully rebuff anyone, Tezuka is determined to keep his interests in the club purely tennis related.

Then, one be one, they come.

o o o

First it is Oishi, who is all admiration and star-filled eyes and dreams. He is not like the upperclassmen, who are just resentment and jealousy and broken.

So Tezuka bonds with Oishi. He thinks that Oishi will make a great vice-captain because, as much as he hates to be arrogant, the spot for captain is his. But Oishi will be able to keep the team together, and be able to encourage the people that he cannot.

Yes, Tezuka decides, when they are third-years, they will lead a great team.

And that is all Oishi will do.

Then Oishi inevitably brings along Eiji when they are virtually attached at the hip, after their little one-sided rivalry is over. Eiji is spontaneity and just pure _elation_ and the cause of many headaches. But, as Tezuka will find over the years, when Eiji is not there, he has a headache anyway, and something amusing is always a nice distraction.

Kawamura manages to find his niche in Tezuka's inner circle all on his own. Tezuka doesn't quite remember how, but he is grateful, nonetheless. Kawamura is strength and resilience and, well, _burning_. Tezuka thinks that Seigaku will need his fire.

Then his elbow gets injured. Tezuka has told Fuji he would play a match with him later that day, and he's been looking forward to playing it. Fuji has an untapped potential that he is itching to release, to see, because even though Tezuka tries to enjoy every game he plays, he has gotten _bored_ of playing people who are quick to sulk but slow to strive.

So he plays the game with Fuji and loses. Badly.

But in-between the bouts of searing pain in his wrist, Tezuka has fun.

Then comes Inui, who was always there, always watching _(though for different reasons that he)_.

He is the other rational mind, and Tezuka cannot help but secretly thank him as they stand to the sides together, watching the jokes, the laughter, and never joining in. Because for them, just watching is more than enough.

o o o

The next year brings Momoshiro and Kaidoh.

They are mentioned together because they come into Tezuka's life together, and leave the same way.

They are rowdy, but they are determined to outdo the other, and somehow, that intense _(nevermind slightly obsessive)_ rivalry is necessary.

It is only when he is captain does Tezuka realize that this rivalry of theirs is drawn out between the two of them for far longer than it should have been. This is their friendship, and, he must admit, they seem to be doing just fine.

o o o

The third year is when they win Nationals.

The third year is when Echizen comes.

He is rude comments and blasé attitude and _short_, but there is a raw talent in him that Tezuka has to unlock. It is eerily similar the pull he feels when he plays Fuji, but it is stronger, because he knows that Echizen will be the pillar.

So he does as he usually does–stands to the side while jokes are being made, enjoys them for a moment or so, and then barks orders for everyone to focus their attention back on _tennis_ because _tennis_ will last forever where friendship doesn't.

But he provokes Echizen. He frustrates him, and toys with him, and _depends_ on him, because he can't be the pillar just yet–not when he's unlocked talent.

When the time comes, Tezuka comes to realize that Echizen will not improve if the only goals he has in mind are he and Echizen Nanjiroh.

So the next time they play, Tezuka lets Echizen win.

Echizen needs to set his sights on higher things. The boy plays best when he's striving for a goal that's beyond his reach.

And Echizen does.

And they win Nationals.

Tezuka smiles, because they won Nationals, and they are the best tennis team in the nation.

This has always been about tennis, after all.

o o o

Third year had been the end.

He keeps the picture of that team safely tucked away in a box in his closet. He refuses to let the image fade away in the sun.

Tezuka does not look at the picture every day or every night. He will honestly forget about it at times, and it will lie in the closet for months on end, gathering dust.

Relationships never last forever, after all.

But every so often, he will look at the picture and think back to the days of grueling tennis practice and watching the laughing while standing on the side.

At least, that is how it is supposed to be.

Oishi will always remember to call on important holidays, his birthday, or after a match.

Eiji will always send Christmas cards.

Fuji will always send pictures of Japan when Tezuka is traveling overseas.

Kawamura will always send him coupons to his sushi shop every week. (Tezuka will accidentally forget them every time he frequents the place, because he refuses to not pay.)

Inui will always analyze his play style and send him lists of the tiny faults he makes (which even computers seem to miss).

Momoshiro and Kaidoh will always make and send huge banners that support him (or Seigaku, if he is playing Echizen) at his games in a continuous attempt to outshine the other.

And Echizen will always manage to play against him on the court.

It is the ending of forever. There will be a time when everyone will finally disappear from his life, once and for all.

Tezuka finds that he mysteriously forgets.


	2. thesadisttensaifuji

**Author's Note **(by Frog-kun): thesadisttensai's drabble 'Senpai' was posted here during the event, but was taken down on 9 August 2011. If you are interested in reading it, please check out the story under her account name. If you have the time, please do check it out. I personally felt that Tensai's story was a marked personal achievement for her as a writer and that it was more suited to being published under her name than under mine. None of the other drabbles were taken down from this fic, so they're still up for reading.

Thank you for your understanding!


	3. Frogkun

**Fishing (by Frog-kun)**

He waits as if it is an efficient use of his time. The surface of the water is still and calm and when he sits up and peers at it like this, he can imagine many things. Not swimming in the water, because that would disturb the peace, and if there is anything that Tezuka can claim he despises, it is chaos without direction.

Instead, he can imagine being a part of the aquatic system itself. He imagines what it would be like to be a fish: the pressure of water would be all around him. It should be suffocating but it isn't. In fact, it would be the very definition of freedom.

He thinks he knows what it is like, even as he breathes in oxygen (through his nose, _in and then out)._ He sits perfectly still where he is. It's just like a game of tennis.

Then he moves, at just the right time. It is just his wrist and it is only a slight movement, but it is enough to cause ripples in the surface of the water. It is hardly enough to disturb the peace, however, and at length, the ripples fade away.

He sits up straight and peers intently at what he has done. For this is his moment. This is his zone. Here, Tezuka is an immaculate being and the world is at his fingertips. He is just as much a part of it as it is a part of him. And when the fish begins biting, Tezuka responds quickly and with consummate ease.

He is a fighter now. He continues to reel in the line. He will never yield.

The fish is a fighter too, but Tezuka matches its strength. He waits until the right moment, and then yanks as hard as he can – firmly, but not harshly – and the fish _bursts _out of the water. It thrashes about in the air, but Tezuka is in control. He reels the fish in, feels a soft satisfaction that brings what could perhaps be a smile to his face. (He is alone.)

Then the fish is his, and he gazes at his catch with measured eyes. It is, he decides, quite a big fish. But the fish itself is not what means the world to him.

Game, set and match, he thinks.


	4. EcstaticPetenshi

**Crumbling Pillar (by EcstaticPetenshi)**

Tezuka Kunimitsu, second year, 13 years old. He was still so young; he had big dreams waiting for him to reach. Yet, he was now sitting in a small white square room, listening to news that sounded more like a capital punishment for him. A man in white clothes sat in front of him. With a medical test report in his hand, he looked at Tezuka. The young boy clenched his fists, while her mother next to him placed her hands on his shoulders.

_The doctor told him, that he his left elbow was seriously injured and he, in the worst case, probably couldn't play tennis anymore… _

At that time, the ever stoic Tezuka Kunimitsu felt like screaming, crying his heart out. Nevertheless, his voice didn't come out at all; he was even too depressed to pour down his tears. Instead, he looked blankly at the paper his doctor was holding. His mother hugged him tightly, ensuring that everything's gonna be okay. Her voice was too faint to be heard though, since his mind had driven away back to that day. The day when everything had started…

It had been an afternoon practice during his first year. He had been secretly felt happy because the coach, Ryuuzaki-sensei, had complemented his swing practice and said that he could have joined the older members playing on the court soon. Then, a third year had come to him with an unpleasant face. Tezuka could still remember him clearly. The senior had been much taller than him with short black hair; he had been a righty who played tennis with a dark gray racket. The senior had been irritated by how their coach had thought so highly about the brat. He then had challenged Tezuka for a match. Though in the beginning Tezuka had refused, the older boy had insisted and finally had made him agree to play. The match hadn't last so long. It had ended with Tezuka's complete win. At first he had felt relieved because he had thought that everything had ended well, but he had been wrong. He had let his guard down. Embarrassed and frustrated by the lost, the third grader had whacked his racket on Tezuka's left elbow.

The young boy clutched his injured elbow once his flash back ended. What did he suppose to feel now? Anger? Sadness? Frustration? Despair? He didn't know. He didn't understand. Then, what should he do from now? Should he give up on tennis?

_Could_ he give up on it?

Closing his eyes, he tried to find the answer within himself. And then, suddenly he remembered his teammates and also somebody he looked up to: his former captain.

He would never let them down, wouldn't he? Not after he was entrusted the most important role in the team.

Straightening his back, he faced the doctor then firmly said, "Is there any fastest way to recover? I want my elbow heals before the next tournament starts."

_He was Tezuka Kunimitsu; he had big dreams waiting for him to reach. _

_And he wasn't giving them in, because he was Seigaku's pillar of support._


	5. Lahdolphin

**Caffeine (by Lahdolphin)**

Fuji didn't know when he had picked up the habit of asking Tezuka odd questions. It could have been shortly after they met. Perhaps it was during their second year as they were walking home from school. Or maybe it was during that summer training camp, the one where Kikumaru picked up the tradition know as steal-your-roommates-pants.

Whenever it was and whatever the reason, Fuji asked Tezuka odd questions whenever he got the chance. Even when they were walking home from a café, Fuji found it to be the perfect time to see if he knew something his captain didn't.

"What animal has the largest eye?" Fuji asked curiously as they walked home.

Tezuka took a sip of coffee, taking his time to think. "The giant squid?"

"Yes," Fuji said, taking a sip of his own coffee. He wondered how Tezuka knew so much. He wondered how he himself knew so much. "What primates have pigment in the palm of their hands?"

"Humans."

Fuji figured he must have asked that question before. "What's the dot over the letter 'i' called."

"A tittle."

Fuji watched as Tezuka raised his cup to his lips. Tezuka only drank decaff coffee. Caffeinated drinks made him jittery. An idea popped into his head.

"Did you know that's not decaff?"

"What?"

"Did you know the coffee your drinking has caffeine, that I switched ours back at the café?"

Fuji had that strange smile on his lips, the one that Inui couldn't figure out. Sometimes it meant he was lying. Other times it meant it was telling the truth. Most of the time it meant he was screwing with you.

Tezuka looked down at his cup. It appeared normal. Then again, both Fuji and he drank the same coffee – two creams, no sugar – the only difference was the caffeine.

"Did you know?" Fuji asked again.

"You're lying," Tezuka insisted. He would have seen Fuji get the cups; he would have seen Fuji switch them. No, he wouldn't have. He had been in the bathroom, and when he came back Fuji had both the cups.

"There is no marker on the cups to tell if I'm lying," Fuji said thoughtfully. "I suppose if you begin to smile we'll know whether or not I'm lying. You do remember the last time you had caffeine, don't you?"

"Fuji," Tezuka said sternly, "I demand that you tell me whether or not you switched our coffee."

Fuji just kept smiling. Eventually, Tezuka was smiling too, which Fuji was surprised by. Fuji had been lying – Tezuka's coffee was decaff, he hadn't switched them. Fuji figured that maybe every once in awhile Tezuka needed to be tricked to put his guard down.

He decided to lie about Tezuka's coffee more often.


	6. fyerigurl

**Author's Note **(by Frog-kun): fyerigurl's drabble 'Spring' was posted here during the event, but was taken down on 8 December 2011. If you are interested in reading it, please check out fyerigurl's account because she will be posting the story along with follow-up chapters. If you have the time, please do check it out. Spring was a very sweet story about Tezuka's conversation with Fuji before he proposed to the girl he loved. As usual for fyeri's fics, the characterisation was very spot on.

Thank you for your understanding!


	7. Morenar

**Hand and Stone, Heart and Soul (Tezuka and Oishi ) (by Morenar)**

On the first day of Middle School, Tezuka sat behind Oishi. They did not speak to each other.

On the second day, Oishi stood behind Tezuka while they queued up to hand in their Tennis Club entry forms. Oishi smiled when Tezuka turned around and nibbled at a corner of his form nervously. They did not speak to each other.

On the third day at recess, Oishi said hello as he passed Tezuka in the corridor. Tezuka nodded back politely.

On the fourth day, they attended the first tennis practice. Tezuka demolished two Year Two students (6-0,6-0) right-handed. Oishi stood by the side and wondered if he could ever play as well Tezuka. Tezuka did not talk to anyone. None of the Year One members talked to Tezuka either.

On the fifth day, Oishi played one set match against another Year One student, Inui Sadaharu. He lost 6-2. Tezuka played against a regular member and won 6-1. Then, Tezuka played against Inui, dominating him with 6-0. Oishi wondered if Tezuka was even human.

That evening, the coach, the captain and the vice-captain were away in meeting. The regular members dismissed all the club members. Oishi waited for 15 minutes for Tezuka to come into the club house to change. Then, he went back out to the courts to find Tezuka cleaning the whole place by himself. Oishi tried to help but Tezuka refused and told him to go home. It was the first time Tezuka spoke to him. Oishi decided Tezuka was still a Year One like him. He didn't have to obey Tezuka completely. He sat at the bench and waited till Tezuka finished. It was late evening, almost dark, when Tezuka finished. They did not speak to each other again. But they walked home together, just before the school gate was locked.

On the sixth day, which was a Saturday, Oishi screwed up his courage to talk to Tezuka again. He kept running into Inui the whole day, like Inui was a second shadow to Tezuka. He didn't have a chance to catch Tezuka alone. He had to wait till after practice, changing hurriedly before running pell-mell after Tezuka. Tezuka must have heard his footsteps. He did not turn around, but he stopped and waited at the gate for Oishi to catch up. Oishi tried to ask him to play tennis, but the words got stuck in his throat. Instead, it came out as asking Tezuka to go to the swimming pool next to the tennis court on Sunday. Tezuka cocked his head, looking confused. Then, he simply said he can't swim. Oishi ended up promising to teach Tezuka how to swim.

On Sunday, Tezuka sank like a stone. Oishi had to hold his hands to keep him afloat till he relaxed enough to float by himself. But he still sank when Oishi took his hands away. Oishi could not explain it. Tezuka could float if Oishi was touching him. Even when it was just by their fingertips and Oishi was not supporting his weight. But he sank the second they broke contact.

On Monday, Oishi had stayed back for cleaning duty. Tezuka was standing at the gate when he came out. Tezuka did not say anything. He started walking when Oishi caught up with him. Oishi kept silent and followed Tezuka's shadow.

On Tuesday afternoon, Tezuka was left to clean up after practice again. Oishi waited for him at the bench. After everyone had gone home, Tezuka packed up all except one net. He played three sets with Oishi. Oishi lost 6-0, 6-0, 6-0. But it was the most incredible tennis he ever played. Even when he lost every point, he felt like he played better tennis than ever before. They cleaned up together. Then, they walked home together.

On Tuesday night, Tezuka could not sleep. He kept replaying the match with Oishi again and again in his mind. Oishi may not be as good as Inui or Fuji. He noticed Fuji's skills, but he would not remark on it as long as Fuji did not wish to be noticed himself. Oishi was better than Kawamura in terms of precision and technique. But Kawamura packed a lot of power in his balls, so he could get away with less technique. There was something to Oishi's game that he could not pinpoint. It bothered him. Oishi lacked experience and self-confidence. But he had potential. He should be better, but Tezuka could not figure out why he wasn't. Oishi had something special that Tezuka recognised, but could not identify. He thought he was lacking that special element. That was why he could not identify Oishi's special something. Tezuka decided he had to go back to basics. He dug out his old tennis books and read late into the night.

On Wednesday, Tezuka gave Oishi a book titled Tennis: Doubles for Beginners. He said Oishi was a Doubles player and Seigaku's current Doubles candidates were terrible. He thought Oishi might set a new standards for Doubles in Seigaku.

Oishi denied that. He had never tried Doubles before. He was too afraid he would drag his partner down. Oishi thought, with Tezuka in the team, they might have a decent chance at Kantou level that year. Tezuka looked surprised. Why stop at Kantou when the Middle School All Japan Tennis Tournament culminated in the National level? They should aim for Nationals.

Oishi knew he wasn't as good as Inui or any of the senior regular members. He can't imagine playing tennis competitively, much less in such dizzying heights as Nationals level that Tezuka was asking of him. But when Tezuka said they will win through Nationals, he believed it could be done. Tezuka also said it can't be done as long as Seigaku did not fix their Doubles line up properly. Tezuka said Oishi was key to that future. Oishi thought he was dreaming. Tezuka said Seigaku needed both of them to make it happen. Tezuka to set the standards for Singles, Oishi for Doubles. When Tezuka said it like that, Oishi knew that was what will be. Oishi would support him with all his heart.

Oishi read the book cover to cover. He carried it with him everyday throughout the year. It was the book that brought Eiji and him together. After he learned it by heart, dog-eared and wrinkled in the spine, he kept it at a special place in his bookshelf.

After two weeks, Tezuka spoke up first time in class. He raised his hand in the middle of lesson. Then, he pointed out that Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in 1543, not 1345. Two days later, he was voted as representative for Class 1-1 during Home-room.

The next day, Oishi asked to be placed in Doubles training. Yamato-buchou praised him for his initiative. The rest of Year One members were not happy.

Everybody wanted to eat lunch with Tezuka. But Tezuka did not like to eat lunch with anyone. He usually waited till almost everyone left the classroom, politely declining invitations. Even when Inui came over from next door. Then, when he felt he would not be disturbed, he would take out his bento and his homework.

No one ever asked to eat lunch with Oishi. So, he ate lunch at his desk in front of Tezuka. That was how the rumours started about Oishi currying flavour with Tezuka. Worming his way into Tennis Club regular spot through Tezuka and Yamato-buchou. Oishi tried to pretend that it did not affect him, like nothing affected Tezuka. But it hurt all the same. He could not bear hearing Tezuka's name tarnished for his sake. So, he stopped eating lunch in the classroom.

He went all over school to look for a quiet hidden spot. But no matter where he ended up, Tezuka would appear five minutes later with his own bento. He would ask politely if the spot next to Oishi was occupied and if he could sit there for lunch. Tezuka never asked Oishi to lunch with him. Oishi never extended any invitation. But Oishi thought he was the luckiest boy in the world. No matter what other people say about him, he knew who his real friend was and where he truly belonged.

They played lunchtime hide and seek for three weeks. Then, Kikumaru transferred to Seigaku. They hit off immediately with each other. Within two weeks, Kikumaru was the centre of Oishi's social life. Kikumaru was very vocal and very social. He always asked Oishi and Tezuka for lunch. Oishi could not refuse, while Tezuka always declined.

Tezuka thought Kikumaru, being an aggressive attack-based player, would make a perfect partner for the cautious defensive Oishi. But he was just a lowly Year One without any say in the team line up. Next year, he would be a Year Two. He would be a regular member, there was no doubt in his mind. Then, he would have some say in how the team would be like. For now, he could only stand aside and let nature takes its course. For now, all he needed to do was to step aside and let Kikumaru draw Oishi out the only way he could. For that was Kikumaru's special talent.

The first inter-ranking tournament brought a buzz of excitement to Tennis Club. The first being Inui stalking every court, especially wherever Tezuka was playing or practising. The second was Fuji asking him for a match. Tezuka only had a glimpse of Fuji's real skill. He knew Fuji was better than all the other regulars, except Yamato-buchou. That was only because he had never seen Yamato-buchou played, so he did not know the extent of Yamato-buchou's tennis. He did not know how good Fuji really was. It wasn't that he did not know, rather, he could not tell because none of the people Fuji played with were good enough to bring out his real tennis. Tezuka thought, if he wanted to see the real Fuji, he had to play Fuji himself. So, when Fuji asked, even though it was bending the rules, he readily agreed.

Yamato-buchou wanted to put Tezuka's name on the list of candidates for the ranking tournament. There were much objections to his suggestion since Tezuka was still a Year One member and it was against tradition. Yamato did not argue back. He simply said he will play a three-set match with Tezuka to prove his point. Tezuka won with his right hand 6-3, 6-1. It shut all the objections up pretty quickly. But Tezuka thought Yamato-buchou did not play well at all, though he played better than all the current regulars. He could not figure out why.

Then, another rumour started about Tezuka being left-handed. Tezuka did not see what was the big deal about being left- or right-handed. He refused to play left-handed and he did not see why it was anyone's business how he played tennis as long as he played his best. As long as he could handle the game level and delivered the results expected of him. Besides, his right-handed strokes needed more work than his left-handed ones.

What he failed to see was petty jealousy and simmering resentment. He tried to see the best in other people. Really, he tried. But when his senpai hit him with a racquet, the shock of the action and his bitter disappointment at human nature hurt worse than his bruised arm. He was angry. Angry beyond anything he felt before. He lashed out with the most humiliating words.

Don't mess with me! How many years have you played tennis? Racquet should not be used to hurt other people.

Silence hung in the air. Is this the kind of example you want to set for your juniors? Is this the kind of attitude you want to teach those that look up to you? remained unspoken, but it rang loudly in every ear.

He could not stop his tongue once he started. If this is that kind of club, I don't want to be a part of it. I quit!

He did bit back the worst of it. I am ashamed to be part of this. You should be ashamed for allowing this kind of behaviour. He did not say those words, but his meaning was clear. It was not entirely Takeshi's fault. He knew the others had been egging him, simply because he had a reputation for short temper. He laid the ugly truth of their cowardice bare in their conscience.

He was still angry when Yamato-buchou made them run laps. He tried to tell himself to calm down. That Yamato-buchou wasn't to blame because he wasn't there to stop it. But watching the senior members run ahead of him, with the regulars leading the pack, something burned inside him.

He knew the seniors had failed him and all his peers. Someone had to set an example for the future generation. If there were no one capable, he would have to do it himself. He would show them what real commitment and real skill meant. It wasn't natural talent like a gift dropped from the sky. It had to be duly earned. It was hard work and true determination.

He ran his laps with self-righteous dignity. He ran the way he ran best. Easy wide loping strides that ate the ground. Efficient, fast and steady. The kind of pace that he could keep up for hours, for hundreds of rounds. Even so, it was faster than the pace set by the regulars. He quickly caught up and overtook the front runners. He did not slow down nor look at anyone. Let them judge for themselves the merit of his words and his actions.

As he ran, he burned the anger and indignation out of his system. Running always helped him calm down. Slowly, he remembered his promise to Oishi. All the things he wanted to do in the Tennis Club to help them develop the highest potential they could reach. He was so focused in his own thoughts, he almost ran into Oishi. By the time he pulled to a stop, he had cooled off.

When Oishi persuaded him to stay, his stubborn words stuck in his throat. He could not say it again. If he said he wanted to quit, he knew he would let Oishi down. He knew he was setting a bad example for Oishi. He would take away whatever confidence and progress Oishi had achieved till then. So, he swallowed his pride and let Oishi persuade him to stay.

But he promised himself, whatever it takes, he would set a firm and lasting example in Seigaku. He had to do it because there wasn't anyone else capable of it. He needed a lesson and a legend to be passed down from one generation of students to another. There was only one way to do that.

He knew Oishi thought it would be awesome if they could qualify for Nationals. But Tezuka would not settle for that. Nothing was going to stop him from the Championship title. He knew Yukimura and Sanada were waiting for him. He would not disappoint them. He had more than one promise to keep.

And Tezuka Kunimitsu always, always keeps his promises.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Te in Tezuka means Hand.

Ishi in Ooishi means Stone.


	8. doroniasobi

**somehow—an understanding not voiced; (by doroniasobi)**

**r****yoma**

Ryoma wanted to quit the Seigaku tennis team before he even heard of it. He didn't really have a choice; he'd been incensed to learn that he was on the team, whether he liked it or not. He scoffed at the idea, almost; his father might've liked being on a team. His father might've grown up learning to work with other people. His father might've learned to do a lot of things-but Echizen Nanjirou was not Ryoma. And being on a middle school tennis club-being part of a _team_-was definitely not how he'd envisioned his life to be, at the tender age of twelve.

The fact that he needed to go to Japan to do something he didn't want to do made him annoyed and feel out of control.

And as fatigue took over, as the roar of the plane engine continued to whir, Ryoma closed his eyes and wondered if sticking with it was what 'doing the right thing' meant, and if that it _was_the right thing-whether he was supposed to do it at all.

.

**Momoshiro**

He'd almost treated news of his regular spot as unreal, because in his head it was never going to happen.

Reality only decided to hit him when he found himself standing on the court against Kaidoh.

It was squeezed into one of those moments-a flash of what he'd planned for himself but never really got to follow through with, compressed into a split second realization that was gone by the time he blinked. He'd been left with nothing more than a sensation of something his mind hadn't quite managed to register, and a familiar yell from his opponent managed to shudder out of his daze. And then there was that little part of him that wanted out. Now.

He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle the pressure. Being a regular on the team was good-but training required focus, concentration, and a lot of the other things that Momoshiro wasn't very good at.

"I made it," he whispered, and both a sigh of relief and a wave of doubts poured over him.

So he said it in his head-screamed, even-and said it again, out loud, when he went home. He said it so many times-until he forgot why, in the first place, he wanted to.

.

**Kaidoh**

Climbing upwards was first priority. In the end, doing all of this would help him grow. Would help him create a purpose, an understanding. In the future there would be formidable opponents-people he would be up against, people whose sheer wills were created out of steel alone.

But Kaidoh would make it there. He would make it to their level, in due time.

But he needed somewhere to start first, and that would be at Seigaku.

.

**Oishi**

Tennis would be an activity, he'd told himself from the very beginning. Tennis would start out simple, would remain simple, and end as something good to be remembered. Everything would be fine; everything would go well.

It's just middle school, he told himself. It's just middle school. You'll quit in high school, and study to become a doctor. Tennis is just a hobby. Tennis will only ever _be_ a hobby.

The minute he tells this to Kikumaru Eiji, the redhead grabs him by the front of his shirt and brings his face close, so that Oishi can't look away politely like he always does.

"You think this is a joke?" he says quietly. "You think other people are here to play around and call it quits after? I'll tell you something then, Oishi-you shouldn't have ever joined then. You should have just focused on studying your ass off and getting into a good high school!"

Kikumaru has never yelled at him before.

That is their first argument, and Oishi will realize later that he wished it would never be their last.

.

**Kikumaru**

Not because he didn't like it; not because it was tough, but because he was treading this pathetic middle ground between being in it and not, and he wanted to be one or the other. He'd always been stubborn like that.

He broached the subject with Oishi on a quiet afternoon on the courts, as Oishi was pouring the other team members water. Oishi would listen to him. Oishi could give him the right answers. Oishi was always there for him. And more importantly, Oishi would know how to tell the rest.

"I'm thinking about quitting," he said. Oishi's hand froze in midair, and the pitcher of water poised inches above the surface of the side table clattered to the ground. Kikumaru stared at it. Oishi paused, before crouching to pick it up.

"That's really selfish."

Kikumaru had expected a simple disapproval or an approval-but not *this*.

"What?"

"If you quit," Oishi said, dangerously, quietly, "if you quit, where does that leave us?"

Kikumaru didn't say anything.

"If you don't know the answer to that, then don't even consider it. Have you forgotten already, Eiji?"

Kikumaru didn't know how to refute to that. (Maybe he didn't want to.)

.

**Kawamura**

He didn't like making scenes; he felt too awkward with them. He never felt comfortable with himself in front of anybody but himself. The things he said to other people made him want to roll his eyes at his lack of ability to hold proper conversations.

It didn't take much to realize that no one else felt that way. And yet, all of them knew he did.

At home he felt confined. When he was playing tennis, there was another side of him that wasn't afraid of being awkward.

It didn't take him to realize that he liked the side that feared nothing more than the side of himself that told him of.

.

**Inui**

Inui used numbers to play tennis. Inui was good at a lot of things, but he was exceptional with numbers. And Inui wasn't very sure about what he wanted to do after tennis, or if there would be anything after tennis.

Sometimes tennis acted like an outlet-a way to get away from things and emotions that couldn't be confined within the limited boundaries of words.

And it was worth it, he thought-so he continued to play.

.

**Fuji**

Tennis had come naturally to him. But it struck him, for the first time in the tournament-that it was so, so hard to be part of a whole.

It was okay to be a lone person, when everything you did depended on yourself. You could train by yourself, in front of the machines, or play against a wall. You could even skip practices, even if Fuji didn't, and then you could come back and just deal with whatever fallout.

But he could never do that now, because nine was one.

It was the scariest thing, to be responsible for not one but eight other people outside of himself, and that he'd let them become so important to him, even worse.

Sometimes he just wanted them. Without everything else-without tennis. It felt complete with just them. Just them.

.

**Tezuka**

In the end, he realized he wanted to be part of_ them_ until it ended. Until the year ended-and even beyond then.


	9. xxTemarixx

**looking back, only for a moment there (by xxTemarixx)**

Tezuka Kunimitsu gazed out the window of the plane. In a few minutes, the plane would head towards Germany where the young man would become a professional tennis player and accomplish his goal.

However, he knew his dream came with sacrifices. He had to leave such things as fishing with his grandfather and watching his teammates run from Inui juice.

Tezuka smiled slightly. He really would miss his friends and all their antics. Oishi's worrying, Kaidoh and Momoshiro's fighting, Echizen's brattiness and all the other crazy things they do that made his temples hurt... or not. He might even miss Atobe's bragging... or maybe not.

He recalled his last match with Fuji right before he left. They fought hard, very hard, against each other only for Tezuka to come out as victor. Breaking all of Fuji's counters was the hardest task he had done but it was the best match he had ever played and he walked away feeling accomplished. The only other person to do that was Shiraishi Kuranosuke but the Shintenhouji captain had won by luck in the end while Tezuka won by skill.

As the plane rumbled and began to take off, Tezuka frowned. Achieving his dream came with a huge price, and he wondered if this was the right choice.

Sighing, Tezuka leaned back in his seat, uconsciously touching his left arm.

No, he made the right choice by leaving. He knew that his friends would miss him and he would miss them too, but they'd meet up again soon and have a great time.

And that made being achieving his dream that much sweeter, because he had people who cared for him and supported him.


	10. HaveYouNoMercy

**Waiting (by HaveYouNoMercy)**

[Title: Waiting]

Tezuka does not care much for waiting, although he is particularly good at it. He waits for his coffee-a plain latte, no whip cream or any fancy stuff on top-with a slightly impatient tapping of his leg and a fixed stare at the waitress bustling around the outdoor cafe.

He picked this cafe mainly because it had outdoor seating, but another plus is the little waitress. She is frowning, and there's a certain limp in her step that suggests that she is quite tired. He likes waitresses like these. Smiling waitresses never are fast enough, to be quite honest. They are always too busy smiling and chatting with customers, admiring the way roses bloom in the springtime and how the sky holds not a cloud in sight.

His latte arrives soon after with a small sigh and a glimpse of what looks to be annoyance. Perhaps staring is not appropriate behaviour in Germany, where everyone eats potatoes every day and orders ice cream that looks like spaghetti. After she leaves, Tezuka looks down and sighs himself. There is cinnamon sprinkled on the top of his latte, a clear sign that someone has let his guard down.

Whether it is the waitress for not noting it down, the barista for not making it according to instruction, or Tezuka for not saying it right, he is not sure.

After scooping out the cinnamon with a spoon, he takes a sip. It tastes perfect, but there is something missing. He looks down again at the little spoon, and uses this to scoop a spoonful of sugar out of the pot and into his latte. Not only is this unhygienic and very crude, but it also makes his latte just a touch too sweet.

But this is what Fuji does to his coffee whenever they drink together. Fuji always adds extra sugar into Tezuka's coffee using his used spoon. After getting scolded about it being against every hygiene rule ever, Fuji would always smile sweetly and reply, "But black coffee is so bitter, Tezuka."

And no matter how many times Tezuka insisted that he didn't drink black coffee, Fuji would always say that it looked plenty black to him.

As Tezuka takes a sip of his now imperfect coffee, he wonders why he ruined it, why he remembered Fuji at this moment.

He guesses that maybe he misses his team more than he thought.

His shoulder twitches as he holds the cup in the air, and Tezuka forces himself not to cringe. He must endure this if he wants to get back to Japan, get back to his team and his family and _tennis_.

Tezuka sets the cup down. The waitress walks by him carrying a small plate and the aroma of apple strudel wafts past him, making his stomach grumble. Suddenly, he has the urge to eat sushi. But the food in the rehabilitation center is-for lack of a better word-crap, and finding sushi in Germany is like finding prime numbers past 7883. Possible, but painstaking and time-wasting.

He will just have to wait until he returns to Japan. And that is only after he is cleared from rehabilitation.

And that, as the doctors said, can only be done with time and rest. This is the part that Tezuka hates the most. He has to wait to get better, which means that he cannot do things his way. He is powerless to do anything because if he did, then he'd ruin his shoulder again and have to do more waiting. He is almost tempted to succumb to his deepest thoughts: that strong tennis training would be able to cure him in an instant, but he knows that he is wrong. Oishi would be furious. Everyone would be.

His teammates flash by in his mind again. First they are smiling and happy, and then shocked and downhearted. He cannot let them see him with fall again.

Tezuka personally hates waiting as much as the next person, but for this, (for himself, for his team,) he will wait. Someday, he will return to his life and then, everything will pay off.


	11. meccanico

**Thank Yous Doesn't Always Need To Be Told (by meccanico)  
><strong>(in which people learn that goodness will always come back to you someday.)

Tezuka Kunnimitsu was getting married. It was somewhat of a celebration, since Tezuka honestly did not see himself getting married in this way. In fact, a part of him wasn't sure he would find someone who he would honestly see spending the rest of his life with. Sure, over the years, he knew he had admirers, but it was difficult to tell if they just liked him because of looks, since even though it was slightly mean and unfair, he was told again and again by his old team-mates that most of the girls did at that way, and he was inclined to believe them.

Sakurai was someone he felt he could be with for a long time though. His parents seemed to have liked her, and most importantly, Tezuka did as well. She was charming in her own way, and he liked her for that.

What he didn't understand was the reason why _he _had to be the one to go and order her wedding dress. The family didn't have much to spend on the whole wedding, but it was decided that they were going to go western, since Sakurai seemed to be more comfortable with that. Tezuka didn't mind either way, seeing as he was told time and time again by female relatives that 'the wedding is a woman's biggest day' and that 'Sakurai should have the final say in everything'. Tezuka didn't care, and Sakurai certainly wasn't that bothersome about her wedding, well, it seemed that way to him. She happened to be sick for a whole week already, and the family was afraid that the dress wouldn't be made in time (because his aunt insisted that she would have a dress especially made for her, and offered to pay for it, but he wouldn't have that). His mother then tried to summon all of her contacts (Tezuka himself was surprised at the amount of people she knew, it was amazing, really) and finally found someone that might be able to help him.

It was namely his second cousin, twenty year old fashion designer Haibara Mikoto, who had an office in downtown Tokyo. His cousin Akira-san was telling him that she'd be more than qualified for the job, seeing as she had studied in Paris, France when she was a student in textiles, and was predicted to be someone famous in the fashion world. However, after her studies she returned to Japan to open a brand label to sell to boutiques, called Snowy Sunday. He had respect for Akira-san, who was thirty, and he could trust him on that. Plus, he really was desperate. Tezuka didn't have much money to spend anyway, and if he was lucky, this Haibara-san would let him off with it being cheaper (as nasty as it sounded).

So, holding onto the scrap bit of paper where he had scribbled the address of her office from the call, he got out of the taxi and looked up at the skyscraper block of offices. Her business must be doing pretty well if she could afford to rent out such a nice place.

Taking the lift up to the right floor, Tezuka walked out calmly toward her office, which had the label 'SNOWY SUNDAY' in English on the wall greeting him, and an arrow that was showing him where to go. He knocked at the sleek, modern door and waited for a reaction.

"Come in~" Came a cheerful voice, and Tezuka heard a whirring noise – it was probably a sowing machine. But wasn't it a block of offices?

When Tezuka opened the door and walked in, he didn't know what to think. Tezuka could tell it was a professional, sleek, airy room, with a huge window that almost hit the bottom of the floor, but instead of rows of desks and people, there was only one person. And that was probably Haibara Mikoko, well, he hoped anyway. There were long desks with several sowing machines and stools instead, and smaller tables with large collections of various types of multi coloured fabric. There were only three computers, and about ten laptops on the other side of the room. Drinks machines took a corner of the room, and a large notice board took the space on a wall.

After standing for about ten minutes waiting for her to finish, Haibara sighed and stopped the machine, jumped off her stool and walked over to Tezuka.

"Ah, Kunnimitsu! I've been expecting you!" Haibara grinned, sticking a pin into a pin cushion that was strapped to her arm. "Sorry about the wait, I just _had _to finish off sowing that hem on that dress. I have to rush an order you see, and I'm quite busy."

"Ah, I'm sorry for bothering you then, I'll just go…" He turned to go, seeing as he didn't want to bother her when she obviously had so much work to do she was working by herself, on a weekend.

She then unexpectedly grabbed his arm. "Oh no, don't! You need help, I can tell!" She grinned. "So, how can I help you?"

"But, you're busy, Haibara-san." Tezuka was still unnerved by that fact that she had called him by his first name. But he suspected that it was a habit of hers or something, from living in Europe, where he knew that they all called everyone by the first names. He tried not to let it bother him.

"Look, that was the last dress of the pile, Kunnimitsu. And don't call me Haibara, just call me Mikoto, like everyone else does. I'm used to being referred to by my first name anyway."

Tezuka nodded slightly. He was desperate, after all. "I need a dress for my fiancé – we're getting married next month." He then handed her another piece of paper, which was folded over. "Here are her measurements."

Haibara then nodded. "Yes, yes, I've never made a wedding dress before, but it's a done deal, as long as I get an invite, yeah?" Haibara grinned. "You can pay me later."

* * *

><p>Tezuka was relieved to have that out of the way, although he felt bad for Haibara, since it genuinely felt like she was too busy to take on his order, but she agreed, and that was that, he supposed. Sakurai had told him not to think too much about it, but he could tell she was happy that he had it sorted out, seeing as she wore a light smile on her face, as she was lying in bed in her apartment.<p>

"Feel better soon." He gave those words, as he walked out of her bedroom.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>"Are you <em>crazy <em>girl? Making a _wedding dress _in _one month_? What were you thinking, boss?"

There were shouts of agreement in the Snowy Sunday office, and Haibara Mikoto merely shook her head as the sowing machine whirred. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was a mess – she honestly looked like a homeless woman, not an incredibly talented twenty year old fashion designer. Her design illustrations were all over the place, some of them coloured completely, some of them inked, some of them with watercolours on. They all were dresses for a woman with no face, and Haibara was frowning. She had already made four prototypes and they weren't looking _amazing. _She knew she _had _to make the dress look amazing. It was the least she could do.

This was why she was blocking out the voices of her co-workers, who were chatting and working at the same time to get the next order in. She hoped to put her all into this fashion label, and launch it into the high streets officially as the next new thing.

Then suddenly, the sowing machine stopped. She knew why – someone had pulled the plug out.

She turned to look at the offender with annoyance, but found that she was too tired to even talk. Instead, the offender picked up one of the many illustrations she made, but with edits all around them. Haibara's eyes then widened in realisation. It was _perfect. _

"Stupid boss, you need to get some sleep if you wanna make this. Girl, no one would want a dress made by a sleepy creater. I know you want it at it's best, but you can't rush things. And you should have asked us to help you. We all know how hopeless you are at designing." A chuckle came from the other woman, who was still holding onto the plug. Then, all her other co-workers cheered.

"We can handle the dress patterns and details. You, boss, needs to get some sleep."

Haibara nodded as she tried to get off her stool but instead, she fell on the floor instead. Her co-workers gasped in shock, but then moved her onto several chairs, thankful that they knew she could sleep just about anywhere.

"That girl works _way _too hard. No wonder she doesn't have a boyfriend." All the other women laughed, as they carried on working.

* * *

><p>On the day of the wedding, Tezuka sat in his waiting room, worried and unsure. His parents (being forced by their parents) had changed the wedding plans <em>completely last minute <em>and now they were apparently going to have a traditional wedding, which made him feel guilty. He usually went with his parent's choice anyway, but now the wedding dress they ordered wasn't going to be used, and he felt terrible for giving his second cousin the order to make it in the first place. Tezuka knew that making clothes wasn't easy, especially _a wedding dress, _which looked so complicated to make. But now, he couldn't worry about that. He had to worry about whether or not the wedding would be successful.

He sighed. His relatives had already been and gone, and so Tezuka sat in the waiting room with nothing to do but to wait. He then briefly wondered how Sakurai was getting on.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Tezuka was stunned to silence. Sakurai looked pleased with herself, with a giant smile on her face – a rare expression, at that. There was a man carrying a camera walking around near her, taking pictures of her, and then him.<p>

Sakurai certainly _wasn't _wearing the general white kimono and headdress, no. Instead, she wore a flowing white dress that dragged on the floor slightly, with her hair in a sensible bun. She wore a veil made of netting, and flowers in her hair. Haibara managed to keep the whole dress white, which suited to the occasion. There were sown on delicate tiny pearls on the dress, with small roses adorning where her chest area was, under another bit of netting. It was a strapless dress, looking like it was made from the finest silk, with it puffing up a little at her hips and flowing down like the sea to hide her feet.

But most magnificently, it seemed to shimmer under the sunlight.

But the most surprising thing of all – was that even his stubborn grandmother who stuck by tradition had agreed that Sakurai could wear the western dress. Sakurai looked like she had tears in her eyes.

"_It's beautiful, it's beautiful, it's beautiful!"_ She gasped out, as they prepared to walk over to the Shinto Shrine, which was within a hotel.

They walked together slowly into the Shinto shrine, Sakurai carrying her western dress and Tezuka in his Japanese formal attire. The rest of the guests were all dressed up formally too, but none of them said anything negative about Sakurai's choice.

At the exchange of sake, Sakurai smiled, and Tezuka did too (slightly).

* * *

><p>"Hey, Shizue. How are you feeling?" Haibara turned to her friend, who was watching the bridge and groom together from a distance, during the ceremony. "I mean, must be pretty awkward for you."<p>

"No," the quiet woman answered. "Not at all. I'm happy to be here."

"You're doing pretty well aren't you?" Haibara grinned, as she drank another glass of wine, "I mean, don't you have CDs out and that?"

Shizue nodded, smiling slightly, happy that her old boyfriend was finally getting married to such a beautiful lady. She felt no bitterness whatsoever, because she wasn't the type of person, and she knew it couldn't work out anyway.

But then, she noticed Haibara's bruised and sore hands, which she tried to hide under the tablecloth with. "Wha-what? Mikoto, what have you done to your poor hands?"

Haibara simply laughed it off slightly. "It's nothing; I just need to take some time off work. My co-workers understand."

Shizue looked worried, and Haibara smiled mysteriously. "The dress is a thank you present. And I don't mess up with presents, you know it."

Shizue nodded in understanding at her friend, as she ate a little more food, soaking in the atmosphere.

* * *

><p>A little girl was crying underneath the big tree in a park, unable to hold her tears as the summer sun beat down onto her little head. Her knees hurt from croaching down for so long, but she held on and ignored the pain, even as a five year old.<p>

At that moment, a small, round ball hit her little foot, and she looked down at it in confusion. Then, she heard running coming from a direction. It was a young eleven year old boy, holding a tennis raquet.

The little girl understood and picked up the ball, which barely fit into her fingers. The boy took it thankfully, but then knelt down to her height.

"What's wrong?"

The little girl then pointed up at the tree, where the boy could make out a small teddy bear made out of various fabrics. It was stuck quite high up, and the boy did not understand how it got there in the first place.

"There for three days now." The girl sounded upset. The boy frowned.

He then walked backwards to get a better view of the toy, and then walked closer to it again. Posture perfect, he went to lob the tennis ball high enough to hit the teddy bear, so it could come back down. It did not work the first time – the ball got stuck – but then the boy acquired more and more tennis balls until it fell down.

The little girl smiled and ran to hold the teddy bear. "Thank you! B-but, your balls…"

"It'll be alright."

* * *

><p>AN, Sakurai and Shizue belong to Bonnsaka and The Jabberer respectively! Hope you two don't mind me using your characters for cameos! Thanks for reading! It's not my best work, sorry about that.


	12. AquaJet

**A Cup of Life (by AquaJet)**

Message to Bonnsaka: Please don't ever think that the forum doesn't care about its members. We all come from different places and we don't have a lot of members staying for a long time as it is. I'm attracted to the members of the forum and I am glad to have been part of the forum for a long time. I've learned a lot about writing as well as other people. All I ask of you is that you stay and enjoy the time spent in NXYZ but if you still want to leave then I won't stop you. This is my gift!fic for you. (sorry it's over 4,000 words FFFFFFF)

+linebreak+

He didn't understand why he was attracted to a small café. The exterior wasn't anything particularly extravagant but instead simple. The name itself seemed as simple as its appearance—Sunshine Community Café: the place for everyone and anyone. It appeared simple yet he could recognize it instantly because of the rainbow colors accompanied by white or black. The servers wore a standard completely black or white uniform with a rainbow-colored item of their choice. The other workers didn't need a uniform, but they wore a special hat depending on their job with a rainbow badge. That's how one distinguishes people in Sunshine Community Café to the other café shops.

It really wasn't his cup of tea to go to such a café. He preferred to go to a nice, quiet café with a more "normal" atmosphere but there was one thing he knew for sure why he was drawn to such a place.

They made excellent coffee.

"Good morning, Tezuka-san." The barista smiled. "Would you like your usual cup?" she asked.

Tezuka nodded and sat down in his usual table. He noticed the newspaper was there. He looked at the barista for an answer. She giggled. Her ponytail went loose and she sighed at the thought of fixing up her messy black hair. She removed her white beret with a vivid blue badge to fix her hair. "You should know of a couple of goofballs that said they would bring the newspaper and reserve your spot as their thanks."

Yes, he remembered those two—Sam and Jo, the foreign waiter and waitress of the café. He opened up the newspaper to find a little funny comic. He didn't laugh at the jokes. He simply fixed his glasses and smiled a little.

"Didn't I tell you it would make him smile, Sam?"

"Well I'll be damned. I thought for sure that it would make him laugh, Jo!"

As usual, Tezuka had the basic idea of what they said in English and had a general sense it was about his reaction to the newspaper. Sam, the waitress, grinned and skipped toward Tezuka. Her twin pony tails bounced, and he could hear her heels click. She was a very cute and cheery high school girl. She wore the black standard waitress uniform with a deep red bandana as her tie. Jo walked slowly behind her. He had striking green eyes and wore the white standard waiter uniform with a deep red scarf despite the warm weather.

"Hey_, _Mr. Tezuka, you should smile more. You face seemed a little grim there for a second." Sam joked.

"…Can you two please speak in Japanese?" Tezuka asked.

"Oh right, sorry. It's just easier to speak in English." Jo chuckled.

"Anyway, you two should stay safe. There have been cases of foreigners getting kidnapped in the newspapers." Tezuka stared at the headline that read: _Missing Foreigners_.

"Aw, but you're a police officer, so you'll come save us little kids won't you?" Sam pouted at Tezuka and hoped for a good answer. Jo joined along.

Tezuka lifted his glasses a bit. "It's my duty to protect all citizens and not show favorit-OOF." He felt a heavy pat on his back.

"Aw, don't be a stick in the mud. You love us." The red-haired boy grinned.

"In any case," Tezuka quickly recovered. "You guys should still be careful. I can't make any promises that I'll always be there to protect you."

Suddenly, Tezuka remembered a terrible case involving the blue eyed waitress.

+linebreak+

When Tezuka was a loyal customer to the Sunshine Community Café for a month, it was near the time when Jo and Sam began working. They knew a lot of phrases in Japanese—mostly relating to the food industry. Tezuka didn't mean to eavesdrop but they always held conversation about their traveling life to the barista.

"We worked at a burrito place in Mexico once. We wore sombreros and everything." The waiter explained.

"I got to do some salsa dancing." The blonde waitress wiggled her eyebrows in a flirtatious fashion.

"And man-hunting,"

"And your woman-hunting isn't as bad?"

"Oh there you go again, accusing me of things that you do too."

"Well, if you didn't go woman-hunting a lot, I wouldn't have to man-hunt."

The barista laughed. "You two are an interesting bunch but you don't look like siblings. How are you traveling together?"

"Oh, that's easy." Jo smiled. "You see, our families are very close friends. They plan on marrying me off to Sam here. She doesn't have big boobs that I really like, but I guess I don't mind. I mean please Sam you need like huge boobs before we get marri-AAAAARRRG."

The cute waitress smiled sweetly as she stepped gleefully on the boy's foot. "Why do you scream like a pirate? It's not a good thing." She turned her attention to the barista. "Anyway, our grandparents passed away at similar times and left their fortunes to us. Our family told us to go travel the world together."

"My, my, if you two are rich then why are you working here?" The barista asked.

"We want to open a restaurant together." Jo bashfully admitted.

"Yeah! We have to start at the bottom so we can learn about pleasing our customers from a different perspective. We also need experience. Besides, this guy is kind of useless without me." Sam smiled, putting her arm over Jo's shoulder.

"You two are wonderful kids. I hope the day we part won't be soon because I like you two." The barista smiled.

"We like you too!" they said in unison.

Tezuka smiled a bit at their story. He wondered what had happen to him lately—he'd been feeling more relaxed. Tezuka thought he needed to be more on alert. He returned to his post after that small coffee break.

Later that day, Tezuka walked home after a tiring day at work. There wasn't much crime going on since it had been quiet in the past few days. No wonder he felt like he was getting too relaxed. He needed to be more on alert or else the peace might-…

"HELP…! PLEASE! ANYONE! HEEE-MMMMMMM…!"

Tezuka reacted quickly and searched for the source of the scream. He heard the sounds coming from a dark alleyway. He couldn't believe what he saw. It was the waitress from the café. Most of her clothes were torn and thrown to the side and there was a man on top of her, covering her mouth and holding a knife.

Tezuka pulled out his gun. "Put your hands up and release the girl!" he shouted.

The man was surprised by the young cop's loud voice.

"Or what…? You'll shoot me? I have this defenseless girl here and a knife. You better not shoot unless you want me and this girl dead."

Tezuka didn't need to hesitate. He knew how to deal with that type of person. "Are you afraid?" He asked.

"What? I'm not afraid of anything, especially you cops."

"Of course cowards wouldn't be afraid when they use cowardly methods."

"Why you sonuva-" The man charged at Tezuka. Tezuka swiftly knocked him out with what he learned in karate a few years ago. Tezuka quickly handcuffed the man and walked over to Sam.

She silently sobbed. The girl seemed so lifeless and unashamed that she was naked in front of the cop. Tezuka saw a lot of minor cuts but he noticed a bit of blood on her inner thighs. He took off his coat and covered her with it. She shook. "I've been violated…there's no point in living anymore…" she muttered.

Tezuka extended a hand to her. "Please come with me to the police station…you'll be fine."

He knew how to deal with criminals. He knew how to use a gun. He knew how to have an intimidating pressure. He knew how to be serious, alert, and flexible in his job.

He did not know how to comfort people.

"No…I can't go back to Jo like this."

"Please come with me to the police station miss. It will be better if-…"

"No it won't!" She sobbed and flicked his hand away. Then they both heard a small gasp.

"Sam-chan…Tezuka-san…?"

It was the barista. She quickly looked at the scene and had an idea what happened. Tezuka looked at the barista with hope. "Can you please escort her to the police station? She might feel better if it's you."

The barista nodded. She walked to Sam. "Sam, let's go." Sam shook her head.

"I'm not pure enough for Jo. I'll become like one of those broken girls with a tragic past, unable to really love and feel comfortable again and then I'll die a lonely fate just like in those depressing novels."

"So you're going to abandon Jo? You're going to abandon your dreams and goals because you don't feel like you're good enough?"

"No I…I…"

"Jo was telling me yesterday how he felt like he wasn't good enough to be with you because you are very pretty, kind to all your friends, and work hard. He said he was going to 'work hard so Sam can depend on me'! And now you're going to abandon him just because some scum laid his hand on you?"

"I didn't abandon him! He'll abandon me when he learns-!"

"I was raped by my stepdad when I was fifteen. When my mom learned about it, she drove him out of the house and then taught me how I should be a strong woman and that I need to find a partner. It has to be someone who I can trust and communicate with. He should also be okay with my faults and admire my strengths just like I should do the same. She also taught me some martial arts so the same thing won't happen again. You have found Jo to be very special in your heart, so much that you think your faults will disappoint him and he'll turn away from you but that's not true. You're about as special to him as he is to you. Never underestimate the kindness of people." She hugged Sam. Sam cried even more but she felt so relieved.

The next day, Tezuka went to Sunshine Community Café and thanked the barista.

"Thank you very much for calming the victim, Monroe Sam." Tezuka felt a bit embarrassed then coughed. "I couldn't have done that and I'm sorry to hear about your past circumstances."

"Don't worry about it. The memory doesn't haunt me anymore." The barista smiled. "And everyone has their special talents. I heard a bit more about the details that happened. You're very brave and skilled at handling the scum. And you were doing your best at being very calm and gentlemanly to Sam." She giggled.

Tezuka coughed again. "It's just part of my duty."

"Yes, yes,"

"Police-man-san…!" Sam appeared before them, out of breath. She held a small package in her hand. She handed it to Tezuka. "Please accept my gift. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"I don't need any gifts. Your safety is my main concern as a policeman-."

"Oh just accept it!" The barista opened it for serious young man. It was a dark blue tie.

"I have something for you too Akane-chan." She handed a present to the barista.

"Thank you very much. Now get to work." She winked. Sam nodded and skipped to the changing rooms.

"Your name is Akane?" Tezuka asked. In the whole entire month he's been there, people referred to her in different nicknames so he wasn't sure what her real name was.

"Yep, my name is Sasazuka Akane. And what is yours, Brave-police-man-san?" She smiled.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu."

"Uh Tezuka-san?" they heard the voice of someone familiar. "Thank you very much for saving Sam. When I heard the news…I went on a rampage. Oh and thank you too, Sasazuka-san, for calming me down." Jo placed the newspaper in front of Tezuka.

Tezuka blinked at it confusingly.

"Sasazuka-san said you liked to read the newspaper in the morning. It's uh…my thanks to you…" He felt nervous. "Well, please excuse me; I have to get to work." Then he headed off.

Akane smiled. "See…? People are surprising. If they give you something you should accept it with a smile and a 'thank you'!"

+linebreak+

"Roger that, Mr. Tezuka!" Sam saluted which helped bring Tezuka back to reality. "Now would you like any food to go with your coffee?"

Tezuka was ready to reject the offer but in the corner of his eye he saw a child staring at him with his pitch dark eyes. He walked closer to Tezuka. The little boy's brown hair was messy. Tezuka fixed his hair up a bit. "Would you like to join me, Jun-kun?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, I would like that very much, Tezuka-san!" The boy sat on the opposite side of Tezuka and tried to mimic his serious, strict behavior. Tezuka took a piece of his newspaper, the section with the comics, and handed it to Jun. "Thank you very much!" Jun greedily read to his heart's content.

Tezuka nodded. "Can you please get me a fruit cup and some apple juice?" He asked to Sam.

"Right, captain…! Good morning, Jun." She greeted.

"G-Good morning Sam," Jun smiled, feeling accomplished that he could greet people.

The young waitress served Tezuka his coffee and as he drank, memories about his meeting with Jun flooded his mind.

+linebreak+

Even on a rainy day, Tezuka would head over to his favorite café. He was just addicted to their good coffee, he convinced himself. He saw a little boy in front of the entrance, soaked and wearing normal clothing. Tezuka quickly looked around for the little boy's parents but it was just him staring blankly at the café. He wondered if he should help the boy or not. There was the possibility that he was lost and he may need help but Tezuka wasn't really good at that sort of thing.

"Tezuka-san, please come in!" Akane ordered. He noticed she had put a blanket over the little boy. She brought him some coffee and looked over at the boy.

"Is there anything you want today?" she asked.

The boy stared at the ground. "I have no money…" He said.

"Can you please get me a fruit cup?" Tezuka asked.

Akane blinked. Tezuka never ordered any food before. She gave him a fruit cup but Tezuka didn't touch it. He continued drinking his coffee. Jun eyed the fruit cup. His stomach growled and then he blushed. Tezuka looked at the boy. "Do you want it?" he offered.

The boy stared at the cup and then back at the older man. "C-Can I really?"

Tezuka nodded and moved the cup closer to the boy. The boy grabbed a grape and ate it. He felt very satisfied. "T-Thank you…my name is Jun." He said.

"I'm Tezuka Kunimitsu."

"And I'm Awesome-Akane-nee-chan!" The barista added with a silly face. Jun giggled and Tezuka smiled a bit.

"By the way, your awesome-nee-chan needs to ask you a question. Is that alright?" Akane asked.

The boy nodded.

"Why were you in front of the store?"

The boy finished eating his fruit cup. "I look for mommy." He said. "Papa said she isn't coming back home anymore."

"Oh dear, where's your papa?" she asked.

Jun stared outside. "He at work."

"Brave-police-man-san, I think you should escort the little boy home. You'll worry your papa."

"I no care about papa. I want see mama."

"Your father probably cares about you but he doesn't know how to express it." Tezuka said.

Akane was surprised but she went along with it. "Right, how do you think he would feel if his precious and cute child wasn't there to greet him when he comes home?"

"Papa no care about me. He stay in his room for a whole day when mama no come back. I want to bring mama back so we can eat together."

Akane thought about it for a while. "Did your parents say anything about a divorce?"

Jun shook his head. "They say mama 'passed on' but where did she pass on to?"

Akane gasped. Tezuka remained unresponsive and simply pushed up his glasses. He didn't know how to respond.

"You know, my dad 'passed on' too."

"Did you find your papa?"

"No."

"Then…I won't find mama…?"

"That's not true. Your mama's body passed on to an unreachable place just like my papa's. It can't be found no matter how hard you try to look for them."

Jun began to cry. "I…can't be with mama anymore…?"

"That's not true." Akane quickly added. "Even if you can't see your mother anymore who says she isn't watching you right now, waiting for you to turn into the strong man you will become? Just because you can't see her figure right in front of you, it doesn't mean you can't tell her how your day went or show her how much you've grown. As long as you believe she's always with you then it's enough isn't it?"

"Mama's always with me?" he asked.

Akane nodded.

"Forever…?"

"If that's what you believe." She patted him gently on the head.

He smiled. "Thank you Akane-nee-chan. Thank you Tezuka-nii-san." He ran off home.

"I'm too old to be an aniki." Tezuka muttered, sipping his coffee.

"Yeah right, you liked it." Akane smiled.

Maybe he did a little but only a little.

+linebreak+

Jun finished his fruit cup. Sam walked around. "Would you like your receipt?" she asked.

Jun nodded. He took out his little bag of coins. He counted his amount for the fruit cup. Tezuka realized what Jun was trying to do and shook his head. "I'll pay for it." He said.

Jun shook his head. "Papa said I won't be a respectable man if I can't pay for myself." He said while finding the exact change. He gave the money to Sam, feeling accomplished.

"This is correct but there's an extra 100 yen."

"Tip for nice waitress."

"Aw, thank you."

As Jun left, Tezuka phone vibrated. He checked it to see that he received a text message from his co-worker, Inui. It read: _there's a rumor that you are transferring somewhere else because you got a promotion. Is it true?_

Seeing as Tezuka would take **forever** in texting Inui back, he just called him.

_-Tezuka?_

"Hello Inui."

_-So is it true that you got a promotion and you're transferring to Yokohama?_

"I'm considering it."

_-Huh, that's strange._

"What's strange, Inui?" Tesuka asked. He noticed that he had been doing lots of things that didn't seem like him. He hoped that nobody would notice.

_-You would have accepted right away. Saying something like, "I understand. I will make preparations to leave as soon as possible." Yet you asked the boss to give you some time to think about it. That must mean something is holding you back._

"Not really."

_-It's not good to lie to me. You know I find out about things very quickly, especially how you go out of your way to visit a certain café. What's it called? Sunshine Community Café…?_

"Good bye, Inui." Tezuka hung up. He noticed another cup of coffee at his table. "I didn't order another cup."

"It's on the house." Akane explained. "So what are you considering?" she asked.

"I might transfer to Yokohama."

"And do you want to go?"

"It's a good opportunity to expand my experience as a cop and it's a more relaxing place to go to. I can fish frequently on the weekends."

"I'm not asking about the benefits. Do _you_ really want to go?" Akane frowned.

He fixed his glasses. "Thank you for the coffee."

Akane frowned. "You're welcome." She muttered as she went back to her work station but she didn't feel very cheery so she went home early. Tezuka felt a bit empty. She was always inside the shop whether it was very early or very late and all day and night. He wondered if she lived there.

"Yo sonny, you shouldn't be cold to Panda-chan." An old janitor that worked there said to Tezuka. He wore a black jumpsuit with an orange cap. It looked a bit strange yet that's how the place was.

"Panda…?"

"Akane-chan,"

"I apologize."

"Don't apologize to me," He laughed. "But really, go easy on her. This place is all she has in remembrance of her father and now her mother is gone too. Now, she moved into the café."

"When did her mother pass away?"

"About a month ago."

"Is that why she wasn't there that day?"

The old janitor grinned. "Why would she tell you her mother passed away when you wouldn't tell her you were transferring?"

"I'm still considering the transfer."

"Right." he sighed. "I think its best not to hesitate. Go where you want to go but don't forget the little people you meet in your life. And trust in the people who care about you."

Tezuka pulled out his small notebook, scribbled something on the paper, folded it, and handed the note to the janitor. "Please give it to her." Then he left.

The janitor peeked inside, he couldn't help it. He snorted. "Very smooth, trying to give her your number without doing it yourself is a little cowardly, young man."

+linebreak+

Akane received Tezuka's note. She pressed the numbers on her cell but didn't press send. Then she remembered her mother's words: never hesitate. She breathed in deeply and pressed "send". She heard the rings and counted them—one…two…three…four…

_-Hello?_

She was scared but she wasn't gonna hang up and let it be a prank call. "Tezuka?"

_-Sasazuka-san?_

She breathed in again. "Yes. You said in your note to call."

_-…I apologize for my cold actions._

"No, I'm sorry for sticking my nose in your business. It's just that…"

_-…just that…?_

"I…uh…I like you coming to my café every day and I…I'll miss you if you decide to leave."

_-…I enjoyed my time there…and I'm glad to have been your friend._

Akane gasped. "F-Friend…?"

_-…are we not friends?_

"N-No…! I mean yes! It's just that I thought you didn't really consider me one. I just thought, you know, that you thought I was a weird girl with too much baggage and stuff."

_-No, you're fine as you are._

Akane felt very relieved. "Can we still be friends even if you leave?"

_-"Just because I can't see you in front of me, does that mean we stop being friends?" Someone I know said something similar to a boy._

Akane blushed. "You still remember that?"

_-Yes._

She giggled. "Hey, if you still haven't decided whether to go or not, can you drop by the café tomorrow?"

_-Sure._

"Okay then, good night, Tezuka-san."

_-Same to you, Sasazuka-san._

+linebreak+

Tezuka shouldn't have come if he knew that confetti would be thrown at his face. "Congratulations on your promotion." They shouted. Tezuka fixed his glasses and was about to speak but Jo and Sam shoved him inside and placed him at his usual spot. There was a coffeecake on his table.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE? WE'LL MISS YOU!" Sam cried. Her fiancé patted her in the back.

The old janitor shook his head. "It was nice knowing you sonny."

"Is Tezuka-san not coming back?" Jun tugged on Tezuka's suit sleeve.

"Uh guys…" Akane's eyes widened as she walked in.

"Everyone…" Tezuka spoke up finally. "I'm staying here."

"Eh?"

Akane sighed. "I said he still hasn't decided so none of this stuff was supposed to happen until we heard his answer. Sheesh you guys, now I lost customers."

"Oh boo, there's no fun around here. I want an emotional party going on." Sam pouted. Jo rolled his eyes at her quick recovery. Jun and the old janitor laughed. Akane sighed. She served Tezuka some coffee and cut a bit of the coffee cake. "I guess a party wouldn't hurt right, Tezuka-san?" Akane asked.

Tezuka nodded. She drank the same coffee Tezuka drank. "It needs more sugar." She said. "Anyway, I'm glad you're staying."

Tezuka nodded. He was glad too.


	13. Final Messages

**A/N **(by Frog-kun)**: **This pretty much concludes the Tezuka drabble collection. Again, all the forumers at NXYZ exchange our warmest affections with Bonnsaka. I truly personally hoped you liked all the drabbles.

Also, I'd like to say a _HUGE _thank you to all the writers who participated in this event. You all produced such great work on such short notice. I was personally _incredibly _impressed by the quality of writing that came out of this. I have a hard time picking favourites because everyone wrote so well and everything approached Tezuka's character in different ways, so it was all very difficult to compare. And yet throughout all the pieces there lies a common thread so powerful and compelling I never expected to see it. I think (and I suspect others will agree with me) reading all your work has made me understand Tezuka a little bit better. So yeah, a round of applause for all the writers, I think.

To finish off are some final messages from those writers who couldn't make the deadline. I won't be uploading any further drabbles since the event is formally concluded, so those who still want to write Bonnsaka something when they have time can write post it under their own profiles. I will, however, make a note of it here if that happens. Let's do our best to exchange the NXYZ love!

* * *

><p>Dear Bonnsaka,<p>

This might be very late compared to the other messages and giftfics. but I am writing this message in hopes that it will make you feel more welcomed here. I am not the best at writing these types of messages but I shall try my best.

I am sorry that I have not been greatly around, or that I have been annoying, but you are a great company to be around. Your knowledge of Tezkua really does impress me and makes me want to learn more about my favourite characters so I make keep them more in character.

The day that you explained to me and Coco-chan on Tezuka and how he would probably react, it really seemed like you were talking about a real person.

I am again sorry for not being around, probably annoying, and not giving you a good warm welcome.

~Sincerely

GlaciaLeafia

* * *

><p>Dearest Bonn,<p>

I'd like to explain my inexcusable absence from the comm. I've been preoccupied with college, and for the past month, I didn't have my laptop with me and couldn't tune in with the forum even if I wanted to. Anyways, I'm here right now.

It saddens me that you'd leave so soon. I haven't even talked to you - not even once.

I tell you, I didn't know about you leaving until the other nice people asked me if I was writing a drabble for you. I promise you I will write one as soon as I can get my fingers to cooperate with me. I've been dead on creative juice lately, so yeah. But you have my word I will get a drabble, a oneshot, out for you soon. ^^ Heck, I'd even dedicate the next chapter I ever do publish to you. ='D

So, yeah. I'm wishing you wouldn't really leave us. The comm's already lonely as it is. ='D But, I can't stop you nor make any decisions for you. Thank you for considering NXYZ! =3 And in the case you do change your mind, this person over here will gladly welcome you. ^^

Peace out~

Terry


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